Prophets and Prophecy, Visions and Dreams - SFC2222

SPEAKER A Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. SPEAKER B Would you like to better understand the Bible? How can you grow as a Christian and find personal peace? What happens at the second coming of Jesus? What is the relevance of Bible prophecy today? How do you identify a cult? What happens when you die? Here is your opportunity to find answers to these and many other questions by exploring 30 not only relevant, but life changing topics that await your discovery. Welcome to search for certainty. SPEAKER C I'm glad you could join us. I'm your host, Gayl Fong, and with me in the studio today is Hana, Hana Nakulgawa. Welcome, Hana. SPEAKER D Thank you, Gayl. SPEAKER C Well, our topic today, Hana, is prophets and prophecy, visions and dreams, insight into the future. There is a dramatic upsurge of interest in supernatural phenomena in our world. People are looking for authoritative answers to the challenges and problems of life. They've turned to astrologers, psychics, and so called prophets. Satan's goal is to deceive as many as possible through the counterfeit gift of prophecy. Jesus clearly warned of Satan's strategy. In Matthew, chapter 24, verse 24, he declares for false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Have you ever seen a counterfeit eleven dollar note? Well, certainly not. Every counterfeiter in the world attempts to make the imitation as close to the genuine as possible. It's only by carefully studying the biblical gift of prophecy that we can detect the counterfeit and receive the genuine. Well, before we begin this wonderful study, Hana, would you invite the Holy Spirit to guide us today? SPEAKER D Sure. Heavenly Father, lord, we come to you and we adore you, we worship you, we praise you, because you are God who is willing to give us the truth of the Bible. Father, as we open and search the Scripture, we need your Holy Spirit to guide us. So Father, I pray that you will pour your spirit upon us. And please Lord, speak to our heart, pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. SPEAKER C Amen. To begin our study, Hana, today we're going to look in the Gospel of John John chapter 14 and verse 26. And we want to look at whom did Christ send as his representative after his ascension? SPEAKER D It says, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. SPEAKER C So there is the promise there of the helper, the Holy Spirit. Now, what gifts, Hana, did the Holy Spirit bring to assist the Church in carrying the Gospel to the world? We go to the Book of Ephesians in the New Testament, chapter four and. SPEAKER D Verse eleven, it says, and He Himself gave some to be apostles and prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. He gave this gift to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor and teachers, different gifts. SPEAKER C Amen. All to help the Gospel go forth to all the world. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Well, Hana, how long would these gifts, including the gift of prophecy, continue in the church? So reading on in chapter four of Ephesians, verses twelve and 13. SPEAKER D Yes. For the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the statues of the fullness of Christ. SPEAKER C So according to the Holy Scripture, these gifts will remain in God's church for the edifying of the body of Christ, and so that the full stature of Christ, that each one in the body of Christ may grow up to that perfect man in Christ Jesus. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C To have that complete understanding of the Bible of who God is. SPEAKER D Amen. So this gift would continue until the end? It means? Yes. SPEAKER C Hana, what promise does God give to his church awaiting the Advent? First Corinthians, chapter one, verses seven and. SPEAKER D Eight says, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. SPEAKER C So Hana, just what you were saying before here, it's reaffirmed as well? SPEAKER D Yes. Eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until the end of the end, until Jesus comes back. SPEAKER C Amen. So the church will not come short in any gift. That is a powerful promise. Well, Hana, what two specific characteristics does God list in Revelation to describe his last day church? We've read this verse a few times as we've been studying together, but Revelation twelve and verse 17 it says, and. SPEAKER D The dragon was enraged with a woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Christ. Hmm. The testimony of Jesus Christ is one. SPEAKER C Of the characteristic so true, Hana. And how does the Bible define the testimony of Jesus? We need to turn to Revelation 19, verse ten, to let the Bible teach us. SPEAKER D Yes. It says, And I fell at his feet to worship Him, but he said to me, see that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. SPEAKER C Wow. So when one of heaven's messengers descended to bring John the gift of prophecy, the aged apostle knelt to worship the angel. The angel stopped him, explaining that he was testifying for Jesus in giving to John the spirit or gift of prophecy. We could look at Revelation 22, Hana, verse eight and nine for that extra insight from the Scriptures. SPEAKER D Sure. It says, now I, John saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell them to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, cedar, you do not do that, for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book, worship God. SPEAKER C Amen. So as you began reading in Revelation twelve and verse 17, it reveals that the gift of prophecy or the testimony of Jesus would be revealed again in God's last day church. Scripture gives several biblical tests of a true prophet. So test number one, there must be prophetic accuracy. So we're going to look in the Old Testament now, Hana, in Jeremiah, chapter 28 and verse nine, what does the Bible teach regarding the accuracy of a true prophet? SPEAKER D It says, as for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent. So if the prophecy came true or came to pass, then we would know? SPEAKER C Yes. So in prophecies that are not conditional, that is, that depend on a personal response to determine their fulfillment, the prophet is 100% accurate. The so called prophets of our day miss the mark completely on this test. A few of their predictions may come to pass, but most are never fulfilled. The second test, test number two, the prophet's relationship to the Bible. Let's go, Hana, to Deuteronomy, chapter 13, verses one through to four. What if a prophet is apparently accurate, but leads away from the truth of Scripture? SPEAKER D It says, if there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass of which he spoke to you, saying, let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them. You shall not listen to the word of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams of the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice. You shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. SPEAKER C So the true gift of prophecy does not lead away from, but back to the Bible. The Bible is always supreme. It is the sole criterion for the establishment of doctrine. And that could be a very deceptive point that what they say comes true, but it's leading you away from the Scriptures. SPEAKER D That's true. SPEAKER C Test number three, the true gift of prophecy exalts Jesus and his law. Let's go to the New Testament. Hana. First John, chapter four and verse two. According to the Bible, how does the prophet relate to Jesus? SPEAKER D By this you know the spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. SPEAKER C Amen. So the Bible declares that the true gift of prophecy exalts Jesus. The poem summarized it well in these words, which says, lord, make me a nail upon the wall, and from this thing so humble and so small, hang a lovely picture of thy face. The function of the gift of prophecy is to exalt and uplift Jesus continually. Since a spirit of prophecy exalts Jesus, it is called the testimony of Jesus. When you think about it, Hana, the Old Testament is exalting Jesus. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C The Old Testament. And the New Testament meant exalting Jesus. SPEAKER D Yes, that's true. SPEAKER C The whole Bible exalts Jesus. Well, what relationship does the genuine gift of prophecy have to the law of God? Isaiah eight and verse 20. SPEAKER D It says, to the law and to the testimony, if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there's no light in them. SPEAKER C It's a very powerful verse, very simple. SPEAKER D You know, if it's not from the Bible, there's no light in them. SPEAKER C It may appear correct, but if it's not 100% correct, it's not. There's no light there because Satan is very, very deceptive. SPEAKER D Deceptive, yes. But when we search the Bible and the truth will make us free. So there is a truth that we can search, and we will find it. SPEAKER C We will understand and know. Amen. As all Bible prophets exalt God's law, elijah called Israel from idolatry to the true God. Nehemiah preached for a reform in Sabbath keeping. John the Baptist condemned Herod's adultery, and he was put in prison for that, too, eventually. And he lost his life as well. But they spoke the truth. Test number four, physical phenomena surrounding the gift. Well, how does the Bible describe the prophet while in vision? We go to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Daniel, chapter ten and verse 17, it. SPEAKER D Says, for how can this servant of my Lord talk with you, my Lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now. No is any breath left in me. Wow. SPEAKER C So as Daniel was taken off in. SPEAKER D Vision, no strength remain, and any breath left in him? SPEAKER C It would appear that he was dead. Dead. And yet he would have had a pulse. But if you had put a mirror to his mouth or face, there would have been no condensation. There's no breath happening. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C Sustained by God. Whilst in vision, bible prophets often experience certain physical phenomena that accompanied their visions. Often they did not breathe in vision, God sustained them. Now, test number five is on spiritual fruit. And we go to the Book of Matthew. Matthew, chapter seven, verses 15 through to 17 and verse 20. How did Jesus tell us to distinguish between the true and the counterfeit gifts of prophecy? Hana? SPEAKER D It says, Be aware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are reverous wolves. You will know them by their fruits do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from this tolls? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Verse 20 therefore, by their fruits you will know them. SPEAKER C That's so true, isn't it, Tana? By their fruits you will know them. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C So it may look good on the outside, but what is the message from the heart? What is coming out through that prophet or through that person that says that they have the gift of prophecy? What does their life reveal? SPEAKER D Their character. SPEAKER C Fruit of their life? Yes. How are they living? How are they living? In harmony with God's principles found in the holy Scriptures. Thinking about this fruit. Hana, would you read for us? In Galatians, chapter five, verses 22 and. SPEAKER D 23, it says, but the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such things there's no law. SPEAKER C So this fruit should be evident in the Christian's life. It's not just having one fruit. All of these fruit are actually ripening in the Christian life. So this is another way of determining are they living up to the full stature of what God would say? Is someone that is showing the fruit the character of God? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Is this a true or genuine prophet? Well, where should we look to find the genuine gift of prophecy today? Let's go to one corinthians in the New Testament, chapter twelve and verse 28. SPEAKER D Yes, it says, and God has appointed these in the church. First apostles, second prophets, third teachers. After that, miracle, then gifts of healing helps administration, varieties of tongues. SPEAKER C So right there in God's last day church, we will find there is the gift of prophecy. There'll be prophets. Well, when we discover God's faithful commandment keeping church, we should also look within the church for the gift of prophecy. Since prophecy is one of God's last day gifts to his church, we should expect to find it within the church. The gift of prophecy is not a doctrine contrary or a teaching contrary to the Bible, but rather one of the gifts God says will remain in the church. What a joy it is to know that God has a commandment keeping church on earth today. It has been raised up to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. God promised to place the gift of prophecy within his true church. It is one of the identifying characteristics of God's true church. Hana, as we began, would you read for us again revelation, chapter twelve and verse 17? SPEAKER D Sure, let's read. And the dragon was enraged with a woman and he who went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. SPEAKER C Thank you, Hana. And if you would also read for us again Revelation chapter 19 and verse ten. SPEAKER D And I fell at his feet to worship Him. But he said to me, see that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. SPEAKER C Amen. 7th day Adventists believe that God has again raised up a genuine gift of prophecy in the life and teachings of Ellen G. White, who was born in a humble home in Goreham, Maine. When she was only a child, she had a tragic accident, so she completed only a few grades of education. She thought of herself as the weakest of the weak. When she was a young woman, god revealed himself to her in visions and dreams. She wrote down God's messages as counsel to his church. Her books on health and education are world renowned. Her thousands of pages about Jesus are spiritual masterpieces. Books such as Steps to Christ, the Desire of Ages, the great Controversy, have run through millions of copies. Ellen G. White was a humble woman who exalted Jesus and always led her readers back to the Bible. She claimed that her writings were a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light. The Bible. Anna, I don't know if you've read any of those books. Have you read the Steps to Christ? SPEAKER D Yes, I have read Steps to Christ. And also I am reading the book called The Great Controversy. I have been very blessed and always, as it says, that, as you said, I go back to the Bible and make me feel like, oh, I need to study more. So, yeah, I have been really blessed to read her writing. SPEAKER C Amen. I myself have read a number of her books and they've always pointed me to the Holy Scriptures. Also, they've given me a deeper love for God, a deeper understanding of who he is and of the plan of salvation. And they are truly a delight to read. And the desire of age is on the life of Jesus. It's one of the most beautiful commentaries, I think it is the most beautiful. SPEAKER D Commentary, yes, I agree, that you could. SPEAKER C Find on the Life of Jesus. And all those who love the Lord and read this book, I'm sure would experience the same. So, yes, it is a wonderful book. And the great controversy. Wow. And that Conflict of the Ages series so relevant for us today. SPEAKER D Yes, there's an interesting fact in Ellen Gy. Estates website. It says, when you consider the time in which Ellen White was born, matured and ministered, her influence is all the more remarkable. Women were not expected to be leading religious figures in the 19th century. You could count their number on the fingers of your hand. Nor were those of her educational level counted. Among the ranks of bestselling authors, erin White is the most widely published woman on religious topics in the world. And in 2014, she earned a spot on the Smithsonian Magazine's ranking of the 100 most influential Americans of all the time. SPEAKER C She truly was a woman of God, an amazing servant of the Lord and faithful. What counsel, Hana, does the Apostle Paul give us regarding the gift of prophecy? In one, Thessalonians, chapter five, verse 19 and 20? SPEAKER D Yes. The Bible says, do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies. SPEAKER C That sounds like excellent counsel. If a prophet meets each of the biblical tests for the genuine gift of prophecy, we can readily accept the gift as coming from God. SPEAKER D Yes, I would read verse 21 as well, if it's okay. SPEAKER C Thank you, Hana. SPEAKER D It says, test all things, hold fast what is good. SPEAKER C Amen. SPEAKER D After we test and if it pass, we need to hold fast what is good. SPEAKER C Amen. If they do not meet these biblical tests, we should reject them as false prophets. And Hana, in holding fast that which is good and testing, we encourage our listeners to receive a copy of The Great Controversy or Steps to Christ or The Desire of Ages. You can actually find these on audiobooks online. There are copies, hard copies available. And read these books, study them, and you can make an intelligent decision as you read. It will draw you closer to Jesus. SPEAKER D Yes, I agree. Unless we don't read or we don't test. Yeah, we wouldn't know. But yes, I'm sure you'll be blessed as you read. SPEAKER C Amen. Well, Hana, why did God give us the gift of prophecy? What is the result of following the prophet's counsel? We go to the Old Testament, the book of two Chronicles, chapter 20, verse 20. SPEAKER D It says, so they rose early in the morning and went out in the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established. Believe his prophets and you shall prosper. SPEAKER C Well, that's a wonderful promise. Believe his prophets and you shall prosper. God has given his church the gift of prophecy for our benefit. Following God's counsel brings greater joy to our lives. Accepting heaven's wisdom saves us from a great deal of heartache and sorrow. The prophet's messages are heaven's blessings on our lives. Well, just reading some extra verses there, Hana. I like the verse in Amos, chapter three and verse seven. Amos, chapter three and verse seven. And that's in the Old Testament. Just a little book. Little minor, it's called a minor prophet book. SPEAKER D Yes. Amos, chapter three, verse seven. The Bible says, surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals his secret to his servants, the prophets. God is a very merciful God. He wants us to know what is happening, and he reveals that secret through the prophet. SPEAKER C Amen. Let's also look at Matthew, chapter seven, verses 21 to 23. SPEAKER D Sure. SPEAKER C Matthew, chapter seven, verse 21 to 23. SPEAKER D It says, not everyone who says to me, lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven, many will say to me in that day, lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name? And then I would declare to them, I never knew you depart from me. You would practice lawlessness. SPEAKER C It's a very solemn verse, Hana, that you've read there, because here people think that they are serving God and they're even doing wonderful work that they believe is for Jesus. They're doing it in his name, prophesying. SPEAKER D And casting out demons and all the things. SPEAKER C But then God says to them, I. SPEAKER D Do not know you. SPEAKER C He doesn't know them. And why? Because you are practicing lawlessness. So lawlessness, they have an attitude toward God's law, God's, holy law. And that includes every commandment, not one missing, and particularly the fourth, the one that has been forgotten. What about First John, chapter four and verse one? SPEAKER D Sure, first John, chapter four, verse one. It says, behold, do not believe every spirit, but test spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is very clear. Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirit. SPEAKER C That's so true, Hana, because as you read in the verse previously there in the Book of Matthew, so many will claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit. But we need to test to see whether we are in harmony with the Holy Scriptures. That's just so important that we follow God's word. Yes, and as we looked at the tests of how to identify the true gift of prophecy, if we follow that directive as well, that will help us to be wise in whom we believe and whom we trust. Hana, what about let's go to Deuteronomy, chapter 18, back to the Old Testament, verses 15 through to 18. SPEAKER D Yes. It says the Lord your God, will rise up for you. A prophet like me. From your midst, from your Breadland, him you shall hear according to all you desire of the Lord your God. In Horeb in the day of assembly, saying let me hear again the voice of the Lord, my God nor Let me see this great fire anymore lest I die. And the Lord said to me, what they have spoke is good. I will rise up for them, a prophet like you from among their brethren and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I have commanded him. SPEAKER C So this cannot be an ordinary prophet, because Moses had unique face to face access to God. And here in this passage, some think this prophet was Joshua, who was a type of Christ. John the Baptist denied that he was that prophet. They thought maybe it was John the Baptist. But people in the New Testament times recognized that Jesus Christ fulfilled the role of a special prophet. He was the spokesperson for God. He was God in human flesh. This is a messianic prophecy here and he was definitely our true God and he had that true message from heaven to reveal the character of God and to show the love of God which was expressed in his greatest gift when he died on Calvary's Cross to redeem us. Hana, what about also finishing on one Corinthians chapter twelve and verse 28? SPEAKER D Sure, one Corinthians, chapter twelve it says and God has appointed these in a church. First apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after the miracles, then gift of healing helps administration varieties of tongues. SPEAKER C So as we accept God's Word, we would be looking for the genuine gift of prophecy. It must be there because this God has a faithful people on planet Earth. Until he comes, the prophet's messages are heaven's blessings in our lives. To our lives. Well, thank you. We could say thank you dear Jesus for the gift of prophecy. I choose to cherish its counsels and humbly follow Your will. I pray that will be your decision and choice, that you will seek and search to know God, because when you seek for Him and search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C And the Holy Spirit will reveal to you this is the way. Walk ye in it. Well, let us close in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us through Your Word that there is a genuine gift of prophecy and that we can test everything by Your Word because Your Word is true. We thank you that in these times in which we're living, you have not left this world in darkness because you are the light of the world. Your Word, from Genesis to Revelation lights up our life with hope, with joy, with the assurance of salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And we thank you Lord, that the gift of prophecy has been given in these last days, so that it will strengthen us for the final movements that will happen on planet Earth. And that the writings of Your servant will point us back to the Holy Scriptures, to uplift them in all their glory, to strengthen Your people, to strengthen those that would put their trust in you to be ready for the soon coming of Jesus Christ. We thank you for this blessed study today. Please continue to guide us, be with all of our listeners, Lord. And thank you Lord, that Your Word is true and faithful and that we can trust you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. SPEAKER A Amen. SPEAKER C Well, thank you Hana. I really enjoyed studying this together with you today. Thank you for joining us, our listeners, and we look forward to your company in our next study. But till then, may God bless you and go in peace. SPEAKER A Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. And a light unto my path. You're the light unto my path. SPEAKER E If you have questions or comments about any of the programs you've heard, you can call three 3ABN Australia Radio within Australia on 024-97-3456, or from outside of Australia on Country Code 612-497-3456. Our email address is [email protected] that is radio at the number 3abnaustralia.org.au Our postal address is 3ABN, Australia, Inc. PO. Box seven five two. Morisset, New South Wales 2264, Australia thank you for your prayers and financial support. SPEAKER A Give me a Bible star that is greedy to you. Since Jesus came to speak and say the Lord. SPEAKER F Give me the Bible. When my heart is broken when sin and grief have filled my soul with. SPEAKER A Fear give me the precious words by Jesus spoken hold a face lamp to show my savior need give me the Bible holy message shining thy life shall guide me in the narrow way precept and promise long welcome till I shall vanish give me the Bible always steps in light teach me the danger of these rounds below that when the safety, that light alone the path of peace can show give me the Bible holy message shining thy light shall guide me in the narrow way precept and promise till I shall vanish in eternal day. SPEAKER C Fountain View Academy Sang give me the Bible. And coming up next, Travis Cottrell will sing. SPEAKER G God leads us along. SPEAKER F Shady green pastures so rich and so sweet god leads his dear children alone where the waters cool flow makes the weary ones feet god leads his dear children alone. Some through the water, some through the flood, some through the fire but all through the blood, some through great sorrow. God gives us all in the night season and all the day. Sometimes on mountain where the sun shines so bright? God beats his dear children alone? And sometimes in the valley through darkest of night? God be his dear children alone? SPEAKER A Some through the water some through the flood some through the fire but all. SPEAKER F Through the blood some great sorrow but God gives us home in the night. SPEAKER A Season and all day. SPEAKER F Oh, yeah. SPEAKER A God alone you. SPEAKER F Some through the water some through the flood some through the fire but all through the blood some through great sorrow that God gives us all in the night season and all the. SPEAKER A Day. SPEAKER F In the night and all the. SPEAKER A Day lo Sam. SPEAKER G Welcome to Answers to the Big Questions. I'm your host, Allen Sonter, and I'm glad you could join me. In the last episode, I talked about whether one religion is better than another. Some suggestions were made to help us decide the answer to this question, though, of course, much more could be said about the issue in my Answers to the Big Questions. In this series, only a brief outline of the subjects is possible, but I invite you to contact me at Three ABN. If you have further questions. Today's question is one which most of us have asked at one time or another. While we've considered some aspect of this question in previous episodes in this series, today we'll attempt to give an answer that deals specifically with the question. There are two parts to the question, so let's start with the first part where did we come from? Nobody alive today has firsthand experience of the beginnings of the human race. We can only learn from the sources that claim to know the answer. There are two main sources to which people go to look for answers to such questions science and religion. When we ask science where we came from, we really find no answers because science depends on observation and interpretation. As noted above, no scientist alive has ever observed the beginning of the human race. So the best a scientist can do is to observe so called evidence for possible beginnings of human life and other forms of life as well, and interpret this evidence using principles of interpretation developed by observing the world around us. Most scientists believe that there's no God, so they set about looking for evidence they can interpret as indicating that life began without the intervention of God. The most common belief by modern scientists is that man evolved from lower forms of life and that these forms of life evolve from still earlier forms until we go right back to the beginning when life arose spontaneously from nonliving matter in some kind of primordial soup. Scientists who accept this theory then have to come up with evidence to support their ideas. The theory I have briefly described is called the theory of evolution and it was championed by Charles Darwin from about the 1840s. He worked out his theory after observing that some birds in the Galapagos Islands had different shaped beaks from others. And he believed that the different beaks had evolved to enable the birds to cope with different environmental factors experienced by the birds over time. Darwin knew nothing of the highly complex cellular structure of living things or of the information contained in DNA which enables living organisms to replicate themselves. Had he known about such things, he would probably never have launched the theory of evolution. But because he knew nothing of modern biological science, he taught his theory, which at the time was thought to be possibly plausible because his ideas provided a way of explaining the origins of life without needing a creator God. Many in the scientific world accepted them gladly and they rapidly spread throughout the scientific community. Once these ideas had taken hold, there were many scientists who would be ready to defend them against anyone who suggested that God was the Creator. It appeared that there were only two options either God created life or life evolved without God. It's my belief that theory of evolution would never have taken hold if scientists in Darwin's time had known. What we now know of biological science as the theory is totally untenable. Given what we now know, it's simply not possible for more complex forms of life to develop from simpler forms, because the more complex forms require more information in the DNA, and the more information requires intelligence. And without an intelligent God, there's no source of intelligence from which the needed information can come. But once science had accepted Darwin's theory, the efforts of scientists were focused on finding evidence to support the theory. So when our understanding of DNA and other aspects of genetics was presented to evolutionists, they tried desperately to prove that their theory was correct, despite the evidence against it arising from genetics. So evolution still has millions of followers who are intent on defending their theory against any evidence creationists may present. To the contrary, almost every law of biology, chemistry and physics would have to be broken if evolution was true. Take just one example the law of Entropy, also known as the second Law of thermodynamics. It states that as one goes forward in time, the net entropy that's the degree of disorder of any isolated and closed system will always increase, or at least stay the same. Entropy is simply a measure of disorder and affects all aspects of our daily lives. Put simply, the law of Entropy says that everything tends to break down or fall to pieces unless it is maintained by the input of someone's effort. But according to evolution, over vast periods of time, living things became more complex and order increased. That is simply not possible according to this law. On the other hand, those who believe that God created everything in the universe can point to a great deal of evidence that indicates the activity of a creator in the origins of life. The complex designs of living things, the ability of living organisms to reproduce themselves, and the evidence of fossils and geology for a comparatively recent creation and a catastrophic worldwide flood all lead the open minded observer to conclude that living organisms, including human beings, were designed and created by an intelligent being that we choose to call God. We can see that science has no satisfactory answer to the question, where did we come from? So let's look to religion for an answer. After all, religion is the source of our ideas about things we cannot understand by observing the world around us. When we study various religions, we see that each religion has its own answer to this question, ranging from the dreamtime stories of the Australian aborigines to the tribal stories of people in many cultures, and to the beliefs of Hindus, Buddhists and others. Then there is the teachings of the Bible, which tell us in the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis just how humans were created by God. In the first episode of this series, we gave evidence for believing that the Bible is God's message to us. So here we will focus on what the bible says about where we came from. In Genesis one, verses 26 to 29, we read the account of the creation of humans which reads as follows then God said let us make human beings in our image to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, all the wild animals on the earth and the small animals that scurry along the ground. So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them. Male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky and all the animals that scurry along the ground. Then God said Look, I have given you every seed bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky and the small animals that scurry along the ground. Everything that has life. And that is what happened. This account is straightforward and tells us that God made humans and gave them a plantbased diet. Also tells us that God gave the animals a plantbased diet. Then in the second chapter of Genesis, in verses 718 21 and 22, we read how God made man and woman. Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils and the man became a living person. Then the Lord God said it's not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her to the man. These verses continue telling us that this is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife and the two are united into one, which it tells us in verse 24. It's interesting to learn that God's account of the beginning of human life includes an explanation of how the two sexes began and of the beginning of the marriage relationship, which, of course, provides for humans to reproduce themselves. The theory of evolution has no plausible explanation for the continuation of the race. So we can answer the question where did we come from? Quite simply, we were created by God when he made life on the earth. I believe this happened about 6000 years ago, based on the chronology of the Bible. Now let's look at the second question where are we going? In episode four of this series we looked at the question what is death? And on the face of it, it looks quite simple. We will all eventually die, go to sleep to await the resurrection. If we have accepted the salvation Jesus offers us, we will be brought back to life at the first resurrection when Jesus returns. Or if we have rejected the salvation Jesus offers, we will sleep till the second resurrection, when we will be brought back to life to face the judgment for all our rebellion against God. But what happens then? This is where the difference between those who have accepted Christ and the salvation he offers and those who have chosen to live for themselves becomes very clear. In episode six of the series, we told something of the future of these two groups. But we need here to say something about what causes us to be in one group or the other. The difference is a matter of our choice, who we choose to worship. Jesus offers us a gift, salvation and eternal life if we worship Him. But not all accept this free gift. If we live our lives to bring the greatest joy to the most people, we will choose to allow Jesus to control our lives and all that we do. This means living unselfishly as Christ lived. As the Bible writer the apostle Paul put it in his letter to the Church at Galatia in chapter two and verse 20 my old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, so I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It's only if we really love Jesus that we will be happy to worship Him and have him in control of our lives. It is this idea that Christ lives in the one who accepts his free gift of salvation that makes the life of the Christian so different from that of the person who wants to live for himself or herself. Someone who chooses to live for selfish pleasure or gain will not be happy to have Christ in control of the life. So such a person will not accept the salvation offered because although it costs no money, it means giving Christ control of our lives. So the two ways to live are very different, and the final end of each is also very different. The difference is in who we worship. For the person who is happy to worship Christ and have him in control of his or her life. The end is the first resurrection at Christ's second coming and a place in the new earth that Christ will set up on this earth after sin has been completely eliminated. That person will live forever in that wonderful world where everyone worships God and loves Christ and one another. For the person who chooses to worship the rebel Satan and live for self. The end is the second resurrection after the end of the thousand years, the millennium during which time God and his people are in heaven judging those who have rejected Christ while Satan and his angels are restricted to this desolate earth with no one to tempt. Then when those who have lived for self and chosen to worship Satan are brought back to life in the second resurrection, they join Satan and his angels in an attempt to take the holy city which comes down from heaven with Christ and his people. Their attempt to take the city ends when God destroys both Satan and his followers in a lake of fire which destroys all sin and sinners and cleanses the earth of all the effects of sin. God then makes the whole earth new and sets up his government here on this earth. All of this is described in chapters 20 and 21 in the book of Revelation in the Bible. So our options are live forever, loving and worshipping God, or worship Satan and die in the lake of fire, which is called the second death from which there is no resurrection. My listening friend, please accept the joy of having Christ live in your heart. His presence gives meaning to life and fills your life with joy and love. Living for self leads to sorrow and death. Please choose life. You've been listening to answers to the big questions. I'm Allen Sonter and I hope you can join me again next time. SPEAKER C You've been listening to a production of three ABN Australia radio.